Hearts league opener to feature huge fans tribute to club legend Drew Busby

Hearts supporters will unveil a huge tribute to the late Drew Busby at this Saturday’s Scottish Premiership opener against Ross County.

The club legend passed away on July 1 at the age of 74. He will be honoured with a huge tifo display which will read ‘Busby 8’ and cover the Wheatfield Stand at Tynecastle Park.

The display comes as a result of a crowdfunding campaign by fans podcast This Is My Story, who this week surpassed their £2600 target. Hearts as a club have also contributed financially to making this idea a reality.

A Hearts spokesperson told the Evening News: “The club will pay tribute to the legendary Drew Busby this Saturday and we have worked closely with the supporters behind the This Is My Story podcast to produce a stunning tifo display in his honour.

“The display, which will run the full length of the Wheatfield Stand, is part-funded by the club and supporters (via donations).

“We look forward to paying a fitting tribute to one of the finest players to ever pull on the maroon jersey.”

Signed from Airdrieonians in 1973, Busby spent six years in Gorgie Road, wowing supporters with his impressive attacking play as he notched 55 league goals in 178 appearances before leaving for Toronto Blizzard.

A firm fans’ favourite, Hearts fans have continued signing his name through the generations that have followed.

Drew Busby was a hero at Hearts in the 1970s and his name is still sung in and around Tynecastle to this day. Picture: SNS

On the GoFundMe page, fan and This Is My Story panelist Scott Anderson wrote: “We are collecting donations to honour a true Hearts legend, Drew Busby, who sadly passed away in July. The man was a Hearts legend!

“Everyone on our podcast was deeply saddened to hear of his death, and we would like to give people an opportunity to honour him at Tynecastle with a Tifo display.

“If you would like to be involved, please donate via this platform.

“On behalf of everyone at the podcast, we offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the late, great Drew Busby. Rest in peace, big man!”

Drew Busby, pictured at Tynecastle in 2015 as Hearts entertained Dumbarton en route to the Scottish Championship crown. Picture: SNS

Busby also represented Partick Thistle, Vale of Leven, Barrow, Greenock Morton, Queen of the South (whom he also managed) and Third Lanark. At the latter he earned himself the distinction of scoring the now-defunct club’s final ever goal.

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